LONGMONT -- All St. Vrain Valley School District schools will be closed until at least Thursday, spokesman John Poynton said Friday afternoon.

But schools in Lyons probably will be closed longer than that.

Superintendent Don Haddad wrote in a letter to parents, "We are assessing the situation in collaboration with emergency responders and actively developing a plan to continue school for (Lyons) students." More information will be provided over the weekend, he wrote.

Haddad and the school board have scheduled a special meeting at 4 p.m. Sunday in the board room of the Educational Services Center, 395 S. Pratt Parkway, to discuss the flooding situation.

As the schools are closed, all activities will be canceled, as well.

The extended closure could mean that students have to make up days later in the year, but Poynton said figuring that out isn't a priority right now.

Asked why the district decided on the extended closure before the weekend, Poynton said, "We believe we're going to need that much time to do this safely."

While he did not yet have details, Poynton said he knows some schools have been damaged, but some haven't even been examined yet.

"We're a long way from having a full assessment of all facilities," Poynton said.

In addition to making sure the schools are safe, district officials have to make sure the roads and bridges used to get students to school are safe, he said.

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